Story Unfolds:
At Royal Chamber of Anga:
A lady was now sitting in her bed. She was waiting eagerly. For her husband. She was none but Devi Padmavati. His first and adored wife. His support system for lifetime. If she would not back up him, he would never be so great. Behind becoming Karna the selfless love and support of Padma, devotion and self-surrender of his Supriya, arrogance yet adoration of his Uruvi all were mandatory. Unless Mahabharata would never discover the greatness of that man. A bit!!
Devi Padmavati (1st Karna Wife)
Padmavati was sitting upright in her bed. Her head and back was put on a pilow. She felt quite weak but her own mind was racing fast. She knew that the news of her pregnancy would at this time reached to her husband. Then why did not Karna try to meet her?!! At least once!! She was so angry on him.
She made a face and cursed her own pregnancy hormones. Then she had blushed hard by making a devilish plan all by herself. Now onwards she would push him to Supriya!!! Let see what would happen then!!! She then smiled brightly in her mind. You could see how selfless this lady was in reality!!! Any girl would die for a big hearted sister like her!! Any husband could adore her!! Any brother-in-law would worship her!! That was the true reason why she was worshipped and respected by Duryodhan, Arjuna and Yudhhisthir!!!!
Duryodhan entered into the room and cleared his throat nervously. He felt nervous on her presence always. He respected Padma a lot. As his sister-in-law!!! This side of Duryodhan was unknown to all!!!
"Bhabi.. (Sister-in-law)" He slowly called her.
She smiled at him and signalled at a place near her. He obeyed her. He always obeyed her. Only if he could obey her wise advice of avoiding the war of Mahabharata!!! Then the fate would be changed!!
"Bhabi, main ati prasanna hoon. Par main dukhi bhi hoon. Maine hi apne hathon se apki pariwar thod diya!!! (I am very pleased today. Yet too sad. I myself broke your family. Your heart too.)" He lowered his head to floor to hide his discomfort.
She looked at him. With awe!! She was so unsure!!! What he wanted to say!!
"Bhabi, main swarthi hoon. Agar pata hota toh main Mitra ko apne Mitrata ki rin se mukta kar deta. Mujh murkh ko koi adhikar nahin tha ek Patni se uski Pati ko chinne ki. Ek santan se uski Pitah ko chinne ki. (Sister-in-law, I am a selfish man. I have no right to be his friend. If I knew about your pregnancy then I will never let him accompany me. In that mission. I will free him from the bondage of my friendship. I have no right to snatch away a husband from a wife. I have no right to snatch away a father from a would be child. I am guilty.)" He had cried in pain while uttering this. Then he rubbed his eyes.
She stared at him. Calmly. Without uttering a single word. She knew how what he would demand from her!! A sacrifice!!! Sacrifice of her marital bliss!!! That she already had sacrificed for the sake of her husband Karna!!! To welcome her baby sister!!! Her Su!! Her Supriya!!!
"Itna sab kuch hone ki uparant bhi Main khara hoon ek binati leke ki ap Supriya aur Mitra Karna ki bibah ko swikar karlo. Mere khatir. (Even after all I am requesting you to sacrifice your love for Karna to that he can marry Supriya. For my sake. Please.)" He told her while singing hard.
She opened her mouth this time and had asked him calmly "Dewarji, kya ap apni Patni ko keh Pate!!! (Brother-in-law, tell me just one thing. Can you request the same thing to your own wife too!! To let you go to marry again!!!)"
He lifted his moister eyes to her and answered truthfully "Nahin. Kadapi nahin. (No. Never ever.)"
"Toh mujhe kyun kahan apne?!! (Why you are telling me then?!!)" She asked him again. Her voice of tone was calm yet confident.
He lifted her right palm to put it down on his own forehead and answered her "Kyunki apki hriday bishal hain. Uski tarah choti nahin joh yeah sochti hain ki Pati ka Prem batne se kam pad jati hain. (Because your heart is open and big. Not small like her who thinks that by sharing her husband's love to her other sisters will decrease her love for her husband and her position in her marital abode.)"
His confession touched her heart. She was testing his sincerity!! She seemed pleased by his answer!! So a small smile escaped her lips.
Prince Duryodhan (Stunned)
Duryi opened his eyes wide in shock. He did not know that she would be assure in such little effort!!!
He toched her feet in adoration and promised her "Main, Hastinapur ki Yuvraj Duryodhan, apko vachan deta hoon ki apki mahanta ke liye Sada ap ki rini rahunga. Apko apni Mata saman gyan karunga. Aur yudhha kshetra main jab Tak Main rahunga apke suhag ka raksha karunga. Ap ek Danbeer ko yogya Patni ho. Apko is Duryodhan ka sat sat naman. (I, the prince of Hastinapur, Duryodhan, is promising you to be in your forever debt. I will now onwards consider you as my mother-figure. And in any battlefield I will protect your beloved husband till I am not injured. You are a true wife of a benevolent King. You are benevolent yourself. I bow to you and your greatness. Hail to you.)" And he kept his promise!!! At the day of the death of Karna, he was severely injured by Bheem. When he was in the battlefield, even Arjuna could not reach to Karna!!!
Then he got up and hurriedly ran out of the room. Perhaps to suppress his own tears. From her!!
...........................
1 hour after: At Karna's Chamber:
"Arya (my dear husband)"
Karna was absentmindedly pacing in his bedroom chamber when he heard the sweet familiar voice in his ears. He sharply turned back and stretched his both hands to her. To his Padma!!!
She did not come near him. She stood there lifelessly. She did not stir!!
He brewed his eyebrows together. In shock!! He did not notice when this line of separation had been drawn in between them!!!
"Main apko Su se Bibah karne ki anumati dene ayi hoon. Apko usse bibah karna hi hoga. (I come to give you the permission to marry my Su. Supriya. You have to marry her.)"
He looked at her direction with awe. What was she talking about!!! Why she was talking like a robot?!! Was not it she who was eager to welcome that girl?!! Then?!!
Anga Raj Karna (Sad)
"Apko do karan se usse bibah karna hi padega. kyun ki ek karan yeah hain ki woh Rajkumari hain. Ap ek Kumari kanya ki apaharan karke usse wapas nahin bhej sakte!!! Log Uski apaman karegi!! Ek din kisi par purush ki ghriha Main bitane ke liye. Uparantu woh Dasi kanya hote huwe bhi Raj Kanya hain. Kyunki bhale hi uski apni mata ek Malini thi apitu us ki Pitah maharajah Chitrangad hi hain. Ek Raj kanya ki apaman rajya sahan nahin karega. Yudhh abasmbhavi hoga jis main sat nirdosho ki pran jayegi. Aur dusri karan, apne uski ang sparsh kiya hain. Apka rakt uska mang bhara hain. Toh niyamat woh apki Patni ho gayi. Apko usse swikar Karna hi hoga. (You have to marry her in two big reasons. One is, you abducted her. Now you can't sent her back. None will believe that she is still virgin. Even after stating at one stranger's abode. Moreover she is a Princess herself. Even if her dead mother was a flower girl but her biological father is King Chitrangad himself. You can't do that. You can't dishonor a Princess by kidnapping her and then by freeing her. A war will take place to save her honor and there many innocent men will loose their lives. As a King you have a responsibility to your state. Second reason, you have put your own blood on her parting. On her forehead. Any virgin girl after putting vermilion or blood upon her can't be called unmarried. She is now your own married wife. As a husband you can't escape your responsibility here too.)" Her logic was irrefutable. You can see yourself why she was later appointed as the chief advisor of Anga state. Due to her sheer intelligence!!
He had looked at her overwhelmed manner. He knew she was right but how could he make her believe that she was everything to him!!! He did not need another girl to be happy!! It was a mere accident!!! She would not admit that!! Her righteous bend of mind would never admit that single mistake of his!!! For her this quality she was adored by her eldest brother-in-law Dharma Raj Yudhjisthir too!!!
She smiled at him innocently and then looked proudly "Main apko man se dwitiya bibah karne ki anumati deti hoon. Parantu apko bhi ek vacan Deni hogi mujhe!!! (I permit you to marry again wholeheartedly. But you have to promise something to me.)"
He lifted his eyes to her and calmly asked her "Kya (What)?!!!"
"Ap Supriya se bibah ke uparant mere kaksh main nahin ayenge!!! (You will not come to my room after marrying Supriya!!)" She answered him. Too calmly.
Hia brain refused to believe what he was listening!!! He opened his eyes wide in horror!!! His corner of doe shaped eyes glowed in tears. He took her wrong!! Then she hated the idea but reluctantly admitting it. To save the state. As a queen. Not as a wife. That was her mask!!! Alas!! He was wrong in his assumption!! He was a wise man and great king, but he was never good at understanding women psychology!!! She was doing this for his sake!! Just for him!! She wanted him to understand the devotion of Supriya. That was the reason of her barring him to come to her. She knew that if he came to her, he would never go back to her Su. As a elder sister of her she could not snatch the marital bliss of her dear newly wedded baby sister!!! Could she?!!
He looked at her direction calmly and vowed in thundering tone "Main Karna yeah vachan deta hoon ki jab tak ap nahin bulayengi nahin ayunga. Ap mere kaksha main ayengi, ham nahin ayenge. (I, Karna, promise to you not to come back to your room unless you call for me. You will enter into my room. Not me.)" And Boy!!! He kept his promise!!! He did not enter in her room till she came to him!!
She smiled brightly. But a pain was behind her smile. She sacrificed her everything for Supriya!!! Karna was her everything!!! And she declined him to enter into her room!!!
He sharply turned back and went on of the room. By lowering his head to floor. By completely devastated and dejected!!! How could she do that!! When they were going to become parents together!!! For the second time!!! He did not know that!!!
He did not look back. Unless he would notice that she ran after him and tried to touch his disappearing silhouette. For the last time. But it was too late!! He was long gone!!! She closed the door and fell on the floor clutching her heart. Her heart was breaking up in pieces. What a great sacrifice she had done for her baby sister that day only a woman could realize it!!!
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Will Karna accept Supriya in open mind? Or does this sad separation between him and Padmavati will separate him from Supriya too? Will he forgive her and take her as his own wife? The answers will be in coming chapters.
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